The subject application relates generally to corn header assemblies for use with agricultural harvesters. In particular, the subject application relates to an improved corn header assembly that includes a deck plate auto adjustment mechanism.
Agricultural harvesters that harvest corn are provided with headers having dividers, also generally known as snouts, for directing rows of corn stalks to row units that include ear separation mechanisms which include deck plates or stripping plates. The ears of corn are then passed to an auger for conveying the corn to a feeder house of the agricultural harvester. Thereafter harvested corn is then conveyed to the harvester's inner chambers for further processing.
Conventional corn header assemblies use e.g., a rock shaft to control the separation or spacing of the deck plates (also referred to as the gap) within a row unit. Such deck plate separation designs have a rocker arm mounted vertically to the row unit and a control linkage below the row unit to move the deck plates. As a result, adjustment of the deck plate opening from row to row can be difficult, jerky and imprecise. Mechanical tolerances which are built into such deck plate separation design in order to improve ease of deck plate movement also leads to backlash which affects the operator's ability to properly set the deck plates. Improperly set or poorly adjusted deck plates cause grain loss, ear damage and economic losses. Such designs are also bulky, heavy and take up valuable space underneath the corn header row unit. Further, such designs can generate excess debris which can lead to trash accumulation under the corn header assembly effecting overall header efficiency and operation. Debris can also accumulate within the deck plates themselves, including interstitial spaces of coil springs. In addition, conventional rocker shaft control systems typically control only one of the two deck plates of a single row unit which can lead to the deck plate opening (or gap) not being aligned with the center of the row unit stalk rolls. Similarly, conventional micro adjustment systems typically control only one of the two deck plates, with similar results.